So you have chosen to accent your kitchen and bathrooms with stunningly beautiful granite counter tops. You already understand their durability and how you will be able to set things from your stove directly onto your counter without the worry of burning your kitchen. While granite countertops are durable, they will also transform your kitchen and make your bathrooms eye catching. While the list of positive attributes towards granite countertops go on and on, you will soon notice that one of the biggest issues you will face is finding the right one.

Arch City Granite wants to help you make the right decision. We have listed the most common things that will help you make the choice. This is how you can choose granite countertops.

How to Choose Granite Countertops 101

Lifestyle: Often, the first thing that people jump to when thinking about their new granite countertop is the color. While color is important, you are going to want to take a moment and think about your lifestyle. If your children love making their peanut butter sandwiches on your counter, certain colors can help hide the mess. If you don’t enjoy cleaning up after every crumb left by your children you probably want to avoid dark colored countertops. If you want the mess to disappear, choose earthy tones with lots of color like our Vicenza Brown. When unexpected company comes to visit, your counters will look clean even if they have a few crumbs from lunch.

Complementing Colors: Choosing the right color is definitely important. Remember, that you have the ultimate decision on the colors that work for your home, but here are a few tips to consider when you are thinking about the color schemes. A common rule is to contrast the colors of your cabinets with your countertop. Make certain you take a few moments and really look at your cabinets. If they are all one color, you probably want to avoid the same color for your countertops. For instance, if you have white cabinets, and you choose a white counter top, your kitchen will be overly white. Granted, bright white can make your kitchen sparkle, but if you really want to add character, you might want to pick a white granite with deep veins of color. So while the rule of thumb is to contrast, there are exceptions that can be stunning.

Take Pictures: One of the most common problems homeowners face when picking out their new countertops is they don’t have good representation from their home. You might think you know the colors from your kitchen, but your memory might fade when it comes to knowing the exact color. Wait until your kitchen has the maximum amount of natural light and then start snapping pictures. You will be able to bring your pictures into Arch City Granite and hold them up to our granite displays. If you need help, our stone design experts can help you narrow down your decisions.

Consider your Space: If you get your choices down to a few different countertops, you might want to give a bit of consideration to how much space is in your kitchen. For instance, if you have a small, tight kitchen using lighter colors of granite can make your kitchen feel larger than it really is. If you have a massive kitchen and you want to make it feel cozier, you can use earth tones or rich, dark colors. Dark colors make a room feel smaller.

Lighting: First off, if your kitchen has a lot of natural light, going with a dark granite countertop with vivid white veins is going to make your new kitchen dazzle. A lot of natural light will make your kitchen feel larger even if you decide to go with a dark colored granite. On the other hand, if you kitchen doesn’t have a lot of natural light, you are going to want to avoid dark colors. Your kitchen might begin to feel a little claustrophobic if the walls are dark, the cabinets are dark, and there isn’t any natural light.

Mix and Match: If you think you can only have one color of granite in your kitchen, think again. In modern homes, it is becoming more and more common to have an accent countertop. This works extremely well if your kitchen has an island. In addition, if you are having a hard time choosing between two different selections, you might be able to use both. Some homeowners have been using a main granite color for all of their countertops, but using contrasting colored granite to add a unique border. Kitchens with this type of color scheme will make your eyes pop. You will marvel at your kitchen or bathroom every time you walk inside.

Our Kitchen Visualizer: We have a 3D kitchen visualizer where you can pick your flooring color, your cabinet color and then move through and select all of our granite colors. You will be able to visualize in real time what your kitchen will look like with every single color scheme. This is one of our greatest tools in how to choose your granite countertop.

Arch City Granite

We have a great selection of beautiful granite. You can walk through our show room and see how they look as a large slab. One of our stone experts is ready to assist you as you make the tough decisions. We can give you some good ideas, because we perform granite installations in numerous homes throughout the area. Arch City wants to help you choose the right granite countertops, stop by our showroom and take a look. When you pick the right granite countertop for your home, it will bring a smile to your face every time you look at them.